The Lead Designer for the “Tianwen-3” project, Liu Jizhong, stated on spacenews.com that the engineering team aims to commence the development of a flight-ready model for the new spacecraft sometime during 2026. The objective of this ambitious undertaking is to capitalize on the Martian launch window, which the Chinese intend to open by the close of 2028.
Given the inherent difficulty of this task and the substantial mass of the required hardware, the mission is structured around a two-phase execution plan. Initially, two heavy-lift Long March-5 rockets will be employed to propel the assembly—comprising the lander stack with its ascent stage and the orbiting complex, along with the Earth return vehicle—into the necessary flight trajectory.
Subsequently, a landing will occur on the Red Planet to gather samples. The collected regolith capsule will then be transported to orbit by the ascent module, which will perform a rendezvous and docking maneuver with the orbiter. Scientists anticipate securing a minimum of 500 grams of Martian soil materials, slated for return to Earth in 2031. A specialized drone will provide assistance in sample collection during the mission, supplementing the lander’s own drilling and scooping instruments.
The preparations for this momentous launch have concurrently enabled Chinese experts to achieve significant breakthroughs across several related technological domains, specifically planetary protection systems, sample acquisition and sealing technologies, surface liftoff mechanisms from another celestial body, and orbital rendezvous capabilities around Mars.
The “Tianwen-3” project signifies the natural progression of China’s successful interplanetary exploration endeavors. The preceding completed mission, “Tianwen-1,” successfully placed an orbiter around Mars and deployed a rover onto the planet’s surface. Furthermore, “Tianwen-2,” launched in May 2025, is currently continuing its voyage; it has a complex objective involving the investigation of asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and a main-belt comet.
According to Chinese specialists, the spacecraft has already traversed approximately 700 million kilometers and is on schedule to reach its target destination this year. Scientists anticipate the return of the asteroid sample capsule to Earth before the end of November 2027. For the following decade, the launch of the “Tianwen-4” mission is scheduled, which will focus on studying the Jovian system, particularly its icy moon Callisto.
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